Apparatus for forming molten metal into ingots



6 Sheets SheeL l.

G. WEBB. Apparatus for Forming Molten Metal into Ingot, 8L0.

No. 223,562. Pafented]an.13,1 880.

MPETERS. PHOTO-LITHOGRAPHER, WASHXNGTON. I10.

6 Sheets-Sheen 2;

. G. WEBB. Apparatus for Forming MoltenMetal into Ingot, 8L0.v

No. 223,562. Patented Jan 13, 1880.

.PETERs, PMOTOUTHOGRAPHER. wAsHvNGToN, D C.

- 6 Sheets-Sheena.

" G. WEBB. Apparatus for Porming'Molten Metal into Ingot, 8L0;

Patented Jan. 1 FIG. 5

6 Sheets-Sheet 6.

G. BB. Apparatus for Forming ten Metal into Ingot, &c'..

No. 223,562. 0 H tedJan.13,l880.

"PETERS. FHOIQLITHOGRAPHER. WASHINGTON. D. O.

- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

continued indefinitely.

immediately after it is poured; and all the eEoBeE WEBB, or .ionivs'rowiv, PENNSYLVANIA.

APPARATUS FOR FORMING MOLTEN METAL'INTO INGOTS, 80G.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 223,562, dated January 13, 1880.

Application filed July 24, 1879.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, GEORGE WEBB, of Johnstown, Oambria county, in the State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements relating to Apparatus for Forming Molten Metal into In gots or other Oastin gs, of which the following is a specification.

I subject themelted steel to strong compression, which is rapidly applied and maintained until the metal has set. I have devised a system for conveniently and effectively operating on quantities made in the large way in modern practice.

My invention is intended to overcome the difficulties, and to adapt the work to successful and economical manufacture on a large scale, with repetitions rapidly conducted and I employ gas-discharging sectional ingotmolds, which are or may be used repeatedly without any preparation beyond a thin wash. The molds are rapidly filled with liquid metal. They are in long, narrow sections, strongly united. Provision exists for the escape of gases from all the joints. A great pressure is applied and maintained on thelimpid metal movements may be effected easily at the right periods. Large charges may be disposed of with rapidity, and the charges may succeed each other indefinitely.

I employ hydraulic pressure in a form of mechanism'very powerfully working and adapted for treating a single ingot at a time by one press. I can use a number of presses together.

Hydraulic presses and accompanying mechanism for receiving and holding the ingotmolds are arranged in a circular series, with a railroad-track extended around just within the circle, and another With various switches and branches lies just outside the circle.

Each press is provided with means for holding the ingotmold first in a position near the press, but not under it, to receive the melted steel, and immediately afterward in a position under the press to receive the pressure.

Suitable cars, moved by hand or otherwise on the inside track, carry large ladles of melted steel and supply two molds at once. Ready other place in the series is being supplied with v a fresh mold, and another place is having the filled mold taken away, with its contents sufficien tly cooled to retain its condition, and each may hold the metal under strong pressure until it has slowly cooled to the required consistency. The molds may be, as usual, of cast-iron.

The accompanying drawings form a part of this specification, and show the invention as applied in connection with a pair of Bessemer converters.

Figure l is a plan view, representing the general arrangement of the parts on a small scale. Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the center of the general arrangement. Fig. 3 is a section of part of Fig. 2 on a larger scale. Fig. 4 is a detached View of the ladle and lift, partly in section. Fig. 5 is a vertical section through one of the ingot-molds and the associated parts on a larger scale. Fig. 6 is a corresponding plan view. Fig. 7 is a vertical section of the hydraulic press and parts immediately connected therewith. Fig. 8 is a plan view of parts on a larger scale. Figs. 9, 10,

and 11 are outline plans of some of the many modifications which I esteem practicable.

Similarletters of referenceindicate like parts in all the figures.

A A 850., are the sections of an ingotmold, of cast-iron, adapted, when applied together, to present a smooth and cylindrical exterior and a smooth cavity of uniform rectangular section on the interior, which cavity receives the melted steel and forms the ingot. The surfaces of the ingot-mold A A which abut together are marked a. They are accurately fitted together, but instead of being left absolutely smooth are left with fine scores running across their surfaces, such as result from filing with a coarse file.

The sections A A 820., are heldtogether by clamps B B which are provided in suffi- ICQ cient n umbers, and with peculiar lockin g pieces or gibs D D and embrace the ingot-mold at short distances apart along its length.

On sufficiently raising the mast O and the connected clamps and ingot-molds and their contents, the whole may be swung around clear of the bed, to allow the ingot-mold to be moved into the proper position to receive its charge of melted steel, and to be moved back into the central position under the press to receive the compressive strain.

The peculiarities of the in got-m olds and their immediate attachments are made the subject of a separate application for Letters Patent.

M M arecouverters, of any ordinary or suitable construction, and J is a circular railroadtrack, extended around j ust within the circular series of presses and ingot holding and moving devices. I will designate each press by the single letter Gr when required.

Opposite each converter M is a hydraulic lift, U, equipped with suitable rails, on which a car, J, may ride, carrying a large ladle adapted to receive a charge of steel in a melted condition from the converter. The lift-power may be the ordinary hydraulic with means for controlling it, as required, to raise or lower the car to the level of the circular track J. The lift allows the ladle to he held at the changing levels required for the pouring from the converter as it is rapidly emptied.

The converters may he worked and emptied independently, care being taken to have as many cars J as there are converters, and to have a car ready with an empty ladle to receive the metal from each converter so soon as each charge is ready.

I have shown three cars, J, for two converters, M. The number of both may be further increased if necessary.

So soon as a ladle on a car, J, is filled it is rapidly moved along by hand or by power on the circular railway J, and stopped in the required positions to supply the melted steel to two of the presses G. As each car is moved step by step along the track J it is stopped at the proper points and tapped at two places, to supply the proper quantity to each ingotmold, which latter is, by the lifting and turning of the proper mast O 0, presented in the proper position to receive it, and on being tilled is promptly returned to its posit-ion under the press and its con tents subjected to the required pressure, and held so.

(Jars It move back and forward on the track R, bringing fresh in got-molds and placing them in position, returning loaded with the filled molds prex iously cooled under pressure to a point below that at which pipings form, to be taken care of at a distant point. (Not represented.)

I employ a press which is compound, using, in efi'ect, two hydraulic presses, one of which receives the steam, water, or other fluid from a boiler, accumulator, or other source, and by the motion of its plunger induces a greater pressure in another mass of fluid, which actsin a second cylinder to apply a still greater pressure on the plunger of the second press. This latter plunger acts on the steel in the .in got. 7

The peculiarities of my compound hydraulic press are made the subject-matter of a sepa rate application for Letters Patent.

When the pressure has been maintained for a sufflcient time the steam or other fluid under pressure is shut oii' from the cylinder G, and the fluid above the piston g is allowed to escape by any suitable device. (Not represented.) Then both the pistons g h and their connect-ions are raised and the ingot is relieved from pressure.

To remove the mold with the solidified ingot the locking-pieces D D are removed, the clamps B B thrown open, and the sectional mold A A and its contents will be seized by properly shaped tongs, (not represented,) which are adapted for the purpose, and may hang from a traveler moving on a straight or curved or a swinging overhead way. Z represents a mast or upright shaft for a swinging way for this purpose. The sectional mold A A and its contents are thus brought to and deposited on a car, R, on a track, R, which track is located on the opposite side of the press from where the melted metal was poured into the mold.

After release from the clamps B B the sections of the mold may be held together by slight bands, (not represented,) which bands are afterward to be removed when the car and its load have been hauled away a convenient distance. The fresh mold is to be held together by the same small hands and brought in by the same route and appliances by which the filled molds are removed, and thus delivered to the clamps B B Theingot, on being liberated from the sectional mold, is ready to be further treated by rolling or hammering, either at the same or a subsequent heat, to induce the desired form of a steel rail or other article, while the sections A A of the mold may be treated with water and partially or entirely cooled, ready to be returned to the position for use, fresh sets of sectional molds being used in the interim.

Figs. 9, 10, and 11 represent some of the modifications of which the invention is susceptible. In Fig. 9 the track J is an approximate ellipse, the presses being arranged in a correspondin g manner. The cars are traversed around and deliver the metal. in a manner identical with that where the track and series of presses are perfectly circular.

In Fig. 10 the track J is formed with an outward extension and a switch at each end. It is preferable, with this arrangement, to have the track pass on the outside instead of the inside of a part of the series of presses, as this allows the ladle to deliver to all the molds from the same side.

Fig. 11 shows a still further modification. I fpsteem them all substantially equivalent in e 'ect.

Instead of Bessemer converters, I can use open hearths, crucibles, or any suitable mode of producing the melted steel.

I prefer, for steel rails, to make the ingots about seven inches square and of a length from fourto six feet-sufficient to serve for only one rail, with a minimum wastage at the ends.

When the series of presses are, as I prefer, arranged in a perfect circle, I can use a crane with one or more arms as a substitute for the circular railway-track J, to carry the ladles from the sources of metal-supply M to the several molds A.

With either means of supporting the ladles 1 can make a smaller number of presses serve by providing means for strongly locking the sets down in the molds and relaxing the pressure and removing the mold without necessarily waiting until the surface of the ingot has hardened.

I claim as my invention- 1. In combination with one or more sources of melted metal, the lift or lifts U, railwaytrack-J, cars J, and a series of presses and a corresponding series of gibs provided with z 5 clamps for moving and holding the molds, as herein shown and described.

, 2. A series of prsses,-each provided with a gib having clamps, as described, for moving the molds out to receive the molten metal and c in to subject it to compression, arranged in a line or lines at a uniform distance from the railway-track J, the latter being continued around in a complete circuit, so as to allow the cars J, carrying the ladles, to move to and 3 5 from the vicinity of the metal-supply in a continuous circuit, in the manner and for the purposes herein specified.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 28th day of June, 1879, in the 40 presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEO. WEBB.

Witnesses:

A. MONTGOMERY, GEo. H. WEBB. 

